Did I say healthy bagels? You bet I did. I couldn't rest without finding a healthy version of bagels. It may not be topped with cream cheese, but go for it if you measure out your portion of it! I, myself, like them topped with my Strawberry Rhubarb Jam!
The kids love bagels, the hubby loves bagels. Who doesn't really? But with today's prices, why do it? I found a 6 pack of them at the store today for 6.99. Really? I guarantee the cost of these homemade ones are much, much cheaper and you know what's in them.
I'll admit - I'd never made bagels before. I didn't know if they were baked, boiled, fried, broiled - clueless! And now I know. I made the first batch. My teen made the second batch. There really is not that much to it, except some patience while you wait for the dough to rise (by far the hardest part for a teen!). I'm sure you can make this recipe if we could.
I'm still playing each time I make these to experiment with different flavorings. One time we sprinkled them with shredded cheese at the end to make a cheesy bagel. We've sprinkled onion flakes in the dough before and also sprinkled onion powder on top. Experiment and have fun with it!
EASY, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY HOMEMADE BAGELS
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups warm water + more for boiling
1/2 cup pure honey
5-1/2 to 6 cups of all purpose flour
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
2 1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 egg
Everything Bagel Seasoning
Directions:
Add the 2 1/4 cups of warm water, 4 teaspoons of the honey and the yeast into a bowl and set aside. The yeast will begin to activate.
In a separate bowl, add the flour and salt. Whisk together with a fork to combine.
The yeast will begin to get foamy and expand. After it has set for about five minutes, add it to the flour mixture. Mix it together well with a spatula (or in a mixer) until a dough forms. If the dough sticks to the spatula too much, spray the spatula with cooking spray.
If you took the easy way and used your KitchenAid Mixer, you can add your dough hook now, lock it in place, and let it knead your dough. If not, place the dough on a floured counter or parchment paper and knead the dough for several minutes. The dough shouldn't be too sticky.
Spray the same bowl with cooking spray and put the dough back in it. Cover with plastic wrap so the dough can rise. Leave it for about 60 minutes, or until it close to doubles in size. Take it out and knead it slightly. Don't add too much flour if it sticky.
Divide the dough into 12 evenly sized pieces. Roll each one into a ball. Press your ring and middle fingers down into the center of the ball to create a hole through it. Push your two fingers apart so that it creates a wider, smoother hole. Repeat this with all 12 pieces. Leave the raw bagels on the floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes, or while you do the next step.
In a wide saucepan, boil 12 cups of water with the remaining honey. You want it to stay at a low boil after, so leave it on medium low.
Gently lower bagels, one at a time, into the boiling water. My pan can fit four bagels in at a time without touching so that is how many I do at a time. Do what fits in your pan. Let the floating bagels sit in the water for 2 minutes on each side, flipping with a fork carefully.
Add oven safe parchment paper to a baking sheet. (I spray this with cooking spray to avoid sticking). Place the boiled bagels on this sheet, and continue to boil the remaining bagels. You may need two baking sheets to fit all 12 bagels.
Whisk your egg with a splash of water to make your egg wash. Use a kitchen brush to brush the egg over the bagels. Top with Everything Bagel Seasoning to your liking.
Bake the bagels in the oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 until golden brown.
Cool the bagels on a wire rack before enjoying with portioned cream cheese, or whatever your preference.
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